Course Design

The Reed Diaries: 10 days of Twitter at Liverpool #LivUni10DoT. For quite some time I've been interested in running the 10 Days of Twitter course at Liverpool, and I've finally got off my backside to organise it.

We'll be starting #LivUni10DoT on Monday 16th March and using a dedicated wordpress site - livuni10dot.wordpress.com. #10DoT was the brainchild of Helen Webster (@scholastic_rat) and as she demonstrates on her site, has had various iterations run at institutions all over the place. In particular, I've been impressed with the latest iteration and updates run at York St. John University - #YSJ10DoT. As Helen licensed the course using Creative Commons, she's more than happy for people to run it themselves. In getting this together, two key things have come to mind:
Technologies. eLearning Tools-Resources-etc.
Web Accessibility for Designers. The focus of web accessibility is often on web development – the things that happen in HTML, CSS, or JavaScript after a site has been designed visually.

Optimal accessibility should start much earlier, as part of the visual design process. We have created an infographic that highlights a few important principles of accessible design. Text Version Plan Heading Structure Early. Transforming lessons, inspiring learning. The 60-Second Guide To Digital Classrooms. » The Flipped (or Social) Webinar Learning in the Social Workplace. You have probably heard about The Flipped Classroom where the traditional classroom model has been flipped on its head, so that students watch videos as homework and then apply the concepts in the classroom.

The collaboration pyramid (or iceberg)
SideVibe. See What the Web’s Largest Websites Looked Like When Launched [Images]
Reading level: accessibility for web writers, part 15. Writing clearly is an important web writing skill.

Unfortunately a lot of web content is unnecessarily dense and complex, making it difficult to read. This is often the case on large sites where providing information to users appears to be the site’s main purpose. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 suggest we write content that requires reading skills no more advanced than lower secondary education level (roughly 9 years of education).
PeerWise - Collaborative student learning. Only five percent of council websites receive top rating by Socitm. O2 learn - Home. Now That’s How You do a Presentation. Create interactive cloze texts. For many years now I've known lots of teachers who get really enthusiastic about creating interactive activities with tools like Hot Potatoes.

This is great but can be quite time consuming to learn and you need to find somewhere to put your activities online once you have created them. Learnclick is a very good alternative that can help to make this process quicker and easier. First you simply go to the Learnclick website and click on 'Create a Cloze Test'. Once you have done this you simply type in the title of your text and either type in or copy paste in the text that you want to work with (I've chosen a short story from Andrew Wright's marvelous blog). Next you select a word that you want to take out of the text and then click on 'Create Gap Word'.
How to tie your shoes.

Over the past few years, the Flipped Learning method has created quite a stir. Some argue that this teaching method will completely transform education, while others say it is simply an opportunity for boring lectures to be viewed in new locations.
Flipping Your Classroom With Free Web Tools. Education for a Sustainable Future. Develop online learning to your institution’s competitive advantage. Create Online Forums For Free. Technologies. Find, build and share lessons. Blended Learning. A Free Tool & Free Graphics to Simplify Your E-Learning Course Design » The Rapid eLearning Blog. 5 Effective Communication Tips for Designers. Communication plays a vital role in the professional life of a designer.

There are, however, two types of communications that a designer carries out. The first refers to the type when a designer communicates with its audience via his designs. Such is called the ‘aesthetic communication‘ and is carried out in a very subtle, indirect and artistic manner. However, the second type concerns the communication which a professional designer carries out while dealing with professional matters. This type of communication is termed as ‘professional communication‘ and is more direct, complex and verbal. (Image source: Fotolia) According to my observation, designers throughout the world pay much heed to their aesthetic communication skills and efficiently engage themselves in improving and refining this ability.

Medium Matters Much In a communication string, medium matters much. (Image source: Fotolia)
4 Big Ideas. 3 Ways the Internet Is Changing Education Right Now. The Internet has had a massive effect on all aspects of human life and interactions since its inception. The world has shrunk considerably and the speed of life has increased dramatically.

But one specific aspect that the internet has had an enormous effect on is education. It’s changing education for good and for the good of all. Democratizing Education The internet is bringing education to almost all corners of the planet and leveling the playing field. Lowered Costs Once the technological infrastructure is in place, the internet means lowered education costs across the board. Improved Learning Not only can the internet provide education to more people at a lower cost, it can also offer better quality.
10 Online HTML5 Tools For Web Designers. 10-20-30 Presentation Rule. What is Presentation Zen? 9-min intro at Apple Store Japan, Feb '08.